Whether you have your own business or want to move ahead in an existing organization, you need to know where you want to go, and you need a strategy to get there. That means you need to:
- Stop being a well-kept secret, and start being a person of interest.
- Be seen as a peer by colleagues at your level and a valuable contributor by those in leadership positions.
- Look the part, rehearse your lines, and be ready for your starring role.
I call this “taking your place and your space” in your career and life.
After researching, interviewing, and observing successful people in leadership roles, I learned that there were common threads and best practices that had helped these people achieve their goals—regardless of gender, age, or ethnic or cultural background. All of the people I spoke with said they had created a mental picture of what achieving their goals would look like. They had identified their strengths, and they had researched what they needed to learn or do differently. In short, they had identified their place and their space.
You can implement this same plan of action by know where you want to go, assessing your present state, and identifying the strengths that will help you achieve your goals. Take out a pen and paper. Write down your objectives in as much detail as you can. Next, list three strengths that will help you get there, as well as three challenges you will need to overcome. Pinpoint ways to focus on your strengths and make them stronger, as well as ways to get past your challenges. If you lack knowledge in a particular area, make a plan to gain that knowledge.
Once you have a plan, you are officially on your way to being seen and heard the way you want to be—to taking your place and your space. We’ll be working on this all month long, so stay tuned for the next installment!
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